The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) will honor legendary Hall of Famer Yogi Berra at the 24th annual “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Fundraising Dinner,” which will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. The “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Fundraising Dinner” is the largest fundraising event for the Baseball Assistance Team, which is an organization dedicated to helping members of the Baseball Family who are in need.

New York Mets starting pitcher Johan Santana will receive the Big B.A.T./Frank Slocum Award, which goes to an individual who provides financial support and generosity to the B.A.T. organization. Additionally, New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain will be recognized with the Bart Giamatti Award, which goes to an individual in baseball who best exemplifies the compassion demonstrated by the late Commissioner. The New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks are the respective American League and National League recipients of the Bobby Murcer Award, which is presented to the team in both the A.L. and N.L. whose players commit the most amount of money to B.A.T. during the Spring Training Fundraising Tour. This is the first time the D-backs have won the award, while this is the fourth consecutive year that the Yankees have won.

At the “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Fundraising Dinner,” fans are given the opportunity to interact with Baseball Hall of Famers and former and current Major League Baseball players while raising money that goes toward assisting members of the Baseball Family who have fallen on hard times. The night’s festivities include a cocktail hour in which attendees have the opportunity to meet and receive autographs from baseball legends and Hall of Famers, and players are seated with guests at each table during the dinner. All proceeds from the evening go to the Baseball Assistance Team.

“The Baseball Assistance Team is proud to honor the legendary Yogi Berra whose legacy is one of baseball’s greatest treasures,” said B.A.T. President Gary Thorne. “Yogi has believed in B.A.T.’s mission from the very beginning. We are pleased to offer fans the opportunity to thank him for all he has given to the great game of baseball, while also having the opportunity to raise money to help others who need help and have nowhere else to turn.”

“B.A.T. has helped many members of the baseball family over the years, and that makes this honor really special for me,” said Yogi Berra. “I'm hoping to see a lot of old friends at the dinner, and if I can help encourage people to donate to this great cause, that's a great thing too.”

Grammy Award-winning recording artist Chrisette Michele will perform the National Anthem prior to the dinner. In 2007, she released the critically-lauded album “I AM.” The album included the song “Be OK,” which led to her first Grammy Award, and also “Epiphany,” which debuted at #1 on Sound Scan. Chrisette's fourth album will be released in early Spring 2013 and is simply titled, “BETTER.”

ABOUT THE BASEBALL ASSISTANCE TEAM

B.A.T. was founded in 1986 by former Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, a group of former players and Major League Baseball. The organization is dedicated to assisting members of the Baseball Family through financial grants, healthcare programs and rehabilitative counseling. More than $26 million in grants have been awarded, to date, benefiting more than 3,000 members of the Baseball Family who are in need of assistance. All aid provided by B.A.T. is strictly confidential allowing those in the need to receive help discreetly.

In addition to assisting former Major League players, B.A.T. also offers support to former Major League managers, coaches, scouts, umpires, athletic trainers, front office personnel, Minor League Baseball players and personnel, Negro Leagues players, players from the Women’s Professional Baseball League, and spouses and children.

Entering its 28th year, B.A.T. is a 501-(c) 3 charity and a unique organization within the sports industry. Through charitable contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals, B.A.T. strives to provide a means of support to people with financial, medical or psychological burdens.

For more information about B.A.T., to purchase tickets for the Dinner or to make a donation, please call 212-931-7821 or visit: BaseballAssistanceTeam.com.